Lawyer · Oregon · SOC 23-1011
2026 Lawyer Pay in Oregon: BLS Median + Real Take-Home
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-07.
TL;DR
- BLS reports Oregon Lawyer median pay at $141,520. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $135,023.
- Mid-band breakdown: P25 $91,860, P50 $141,520, P75 $188,280. Tail percentiles withheld by BLS — common when tech-sector wages exceed the OES survey cap.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- Nominal: #13/51 · Real: #20/51 — ranking shifts by 7 positions after RPP.
Wage breakdown — Oregon
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $55,350 | $52,809 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $91,860 | $87,643 |
| P50 (median) | $141,520 | $135,023 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $188,280 | $179,636 |
| P90 (top tier) | ||
| Mean | $152,580 | $145,575 |
| Employment | 7,690 Lawyers in Oregon | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Oregon index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 104.8 |
| Goods | 104.8 |
| Services | 91.0 |
| Rents | 109.2 |
Oregon's overall RPP (104.8) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Oregon (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Lawyer) | $141,520 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$22,783 | 16.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$12,000 | 4.75–9.9% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$10,826 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $95,911 | 67.8% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $91,507 | ÷ (104.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Oregon state-tax burden means for Lawyer take-home
Oregon carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (8.5% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 32.2%, leaving $95,911 pre-RPP and $91,507 after the 104.8 cost-of-living index — a $50,013 gap from the headline gross.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $151,160 for Lawyers with mean pay of $182,760 and total employment of 747,750. Oregon sits at #13 on nominal pay and #20 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Oregon falls 7 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Lawyer make in Oregon?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $141,520 for Lawyers in Oregon as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $91,860 and the 75th-percentile is $188,280.
- How are Oregon Lawyer salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- Why is the BEA RPP for Oregon different from a single CPI number?
- BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Oregon's overall index of 104.8 reflects rents 109.2, services 91.0, and goods 104.8.
- Is Oregon a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Lawyers?
- No — Oregon's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- What are the limits of these Lawyer salary numbers?
- BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Oregon?
- The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within Oregon.
- Does the BLS lawyer median include partner profit-share in Oregon?
- No — BLS OEWS captures W-2 wage and salary income only. Equity-partner distributions at law firms are reported on K-1 (partnership income), not W-2, and are excluded entirely. In Oregon BigLaw and major regional firms, this means the BLS-reported median understates total compensation for the partnership tier substantially: P90 partner draw often runs 3-10× the BLS-reported P90 once profits-per-equity-partner are factored in. The BLS figure on this page accurately represents salaried associates, of-counsel, and staff attorneys; it does not represent equity-partner income.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 23-1011, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how Oregon Lawyer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.